David District

David District
District
David District is located in Panama
David District
David District
Location of the district capital in Panama
Coordinates: 8°26′N 82°26′W / 8.433°N 82.433°W / 8.433; -82.433
CountryPanama
ProvinceChiriquí Province
CapitalDavid
Area
 • Total
344.6 sq mi (892.4 km2)
Population
 (2023)
 • Total
156,498
Time zoneUTC-5 (ETZ)

David District is a district in the Chiriquí Province of Panama. It covers an area of 892.4 km2 (344.6 sq mi) and has a population of 156,498 inhabitants as per the 2023 census. Its capital is the city of David, which is a major commercial centre in the Gulf of Chiriquí.

History

Prior to the 17th century, the region was inhabited by indigenous people and was known as San Jose de David de Dolega. The city of David was founded in 1602 by the Spanish colonial settlers, and was developed as an agricultural center. A gold prospecting camp was established in 1738. After Panama's independence from Spain in 1821, the city became an administrative and commercial hub in the region, and the David District was established in 1863.

Geography

David District is one of the 82 districts of Panama. It is part of the Chiriquí Province. It is spread over an area of 892.4 km2 (344.6 sq mi).

Administration and politics

The city of David, the second largest city in Panama, serves as the capital of the district. The district is divided administratively into the twelve corregimientos–David, Bijagual, Cochea, Chiriquí, Guacá, Las Lomas, Pedregal, San Carlos, San Pablo Nuevo, San Pablo Viejo, David Este, and David Sur. The corregimientos of David Este and David Sur were split from the corregimiento of David as per Law nine enacted on 14 February 2018.

The National Assembly of Panama has 71 members, who are elected directly from single and multi-member constituencies. The district forms part of the Chiriquí Province, which elects three members to the National Assembly. The district forms part of the Chiriquí Province, which has seven electoral circuits, and elects 11 members to the National Assembly.

Demographics and economy

As per the 2023 census, David District had a population of 156,498 inhabitants. The population increased from 144,858 in the 2010 census. The population consisted of 76,449 males and 80,049 females. About 32,944 (21.1%) of the inhabitants were below the age of 14 years and 19,553 inhabitants (12.5%) were above the age of 65 years. The majority (83%) of the population was classified as urban while the remaining 17% was classified as rural. Non-indigenous, non-Afro-descendant people (74.9%) formed the largest ethnic group in the district, followed by Afro-descendant people (16.6%) and Ngäbe people (8.1%).

David is an important commercial centre located on the Gulf of Chiriquí and supports several industries such as meatpacking, food processing, and tanning. It hosts two seaports and the Enrique Malek International Airport. The annual Feria Internacional de San José de David is held in March, and is dedicated to Saint Joseph.

References

  1. 1 2 "David City: 424 Years of Transformation from Colonial Outpost to Western Panama's Economic Powerhouse". Visitor Panama. Retrieved 1 June 2025.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "David, Panama". Britannica. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  3. ↑ Algunas características de la división política-administrativa indígena y distrito: año 2016 en la república de panamá, según provincia, comarca [Some characteristics of the indigenous political-administrative division and district: year 2016 in the Republic of Panama, according to province, region] (PDF) (Report) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC). Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 January 2020. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "Panama: Provinces and Districts". City Population.de. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  5. ↑ "District boundaries of Panama". Smithsonian. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 Superficie, Población y densidad de población en la república, Según provincia, Comarca indígena, Distrito y corregimiento: Censos de 2000, 2010 y 2023 [Area, Population, and Population Density in the Republic, by Province, Indigenous Region, District, and Corregimiento: 2000, 2010, and 2023 Censuses] (PDF) (Report) (in Spanish). Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censo (INEC). p. 4. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 April 2024.
  7. 1 2 3 "David District". City Population.de. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "Panama districts". Statoids. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  9. ↑ Autoridades locales 2024-2029 por provincia, distrito y corregimiento [Local authorities 2024–2029 by province, district, and corregimiento]. Asociación de Municipios de Panamá (Report) (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  10. ↑ Creación de 4 nuevos distritos y 26 nuevos corregimientos [Creation of 4 new districts and 26 new corregimientos] (PDF). Asociación de Municipios de Panamá (Report). Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  11. ↑ "Asamblea Nacional (National Assembly), Panama". Inter Parliamentary Union. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  12. ↑ "Panama electoral system". Georgetown University. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  13. ↑ Report of the electoral observer mission to the Republic of Panama (PDF). Organization of American States (Report). May 1999. p. 7. Retrieved 1 April 2026.
  14. ↑ "Chiriquí, David (DAV)". Tocumen S.A. Retrieved 26 April 2026.
  15. ↑ "Feria Internacional de San José de David" [San José International Fair]. Authroidad de turismo de Panama (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 April 2026.